Activists pray for health care

April 24, 2007 9:00am

A Washington synagogue will host an interfaith prayer vigil for Americans unable to receive health care. Religious organizations that belong to the Domestic Human Needs Taskforce of the Washington Inter-Religious Staff Community will attend the Sunday evening vigil. Groups include the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Union for Reform Judaism, the National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and the Evangelical Lutheran Church. “Expanding health-care access is crucial and a moral imperative for our country,” said Allison Prevost, chairwoman of the task force. “We are especially concerned with the nearly 9 million children who lack health insurance, 6 million of whom qualify for social programs but are not enrolled.”

The event is part of a larger campaign, Cover the Uninsured Week, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Nearly 46 million Americans are without health insurance, according to JCPA.